Demolition Lovers
by SourWolfInTheImpala
Summary: After weeks of complaints from the pack, Derek gives in. He decides to rebuild his house. They didn't tell him that he couldn't live in it while it was being rebuilt. They definitely did not tell him that he'd have to stay with Stiles. He should be angry at his pack, but he's actually grateful for their intrusions.
1. Chapter 1

Come on Derek. The house affects as much as it does you." Stiles complained.

"I said no. The answer is no, Stiles." Derek growled.

It was Wednesday night. The pack had regular meetings every Wednesday. It's been two months since the Kanima incident. Derek's moved back into his old house, no longer needing to be in hiding. Jacksons learned to control his wolf, Scott has accepted Derek as his alpha, and everything's been going surprisingly well. The pack...his pack, is on the right path.

Derek didn't like to admit it, but he had no idea what he was going to do when he became Alpha. Sometimes, he still feels that way. It was never supposed to be his job. It was always going to be Laura. He accepted that with no problem. But now he had to take care of hyperactive, snotty teenagers.

He admitted he complained a lot about them, and didn't have the best thoughts in his head all the time but they were his pack. He never thought he'd feel close to anyone again. His pack changed that. He feels like he has a family again. Of course it's not the same. It's the closest thing he's got and he's grateful for it. But he is not giving into their demands. He is the Alpha.

"You know Derek, Stiles is right." Lydia said, getting up from the couch to join Stiles, Derek, and Scott in the kitchen. "We're all here at least four times a week, all of us on Wednesdays. It's our problem too so get off your high horse and listen to us."

"Lydia, I accepted you into this pack as human. Learn your place" Derek snarled, glaring at Lydia.

"Hold on there sour wolf, no need to get your panties in a bunch. We all just wants best for us. We want what's best for you Derek." Stiles said, sounding genuinely concerned about Derek's wellbeing.

That's what Derek didn't get about Stiles. He actually seemed like he cared. The rest of the pack saw him as a teacher. But Stiles treated Derek like his friend, like he was one of the guys...like he was human. He didn't know if it was because Stiles did care or if he was just messed up in the head. Either way, Derek didn't really care. Or so he told himself.

"Derek, are you even listening to us?!" Jackson shouted. Derek's head snapped up, the whole pack was in the kitchen now. When did this happen?

"I already said no. I live here, not you. I'm not wasting my money to renovate the house when it has no beneficial results for me." He said with authority in his voice.

"Derek, come on. Don't you think it's time..you moved on" Stiles said softly, sounding hesitant. No one would look him in the eye after the statement, except Stiles. Derek held their gaze for a few seconds before he looked away.

"Even if I wanted to, which I don't, I couldn't afford it. And no Jackson, I will not accept handouts from your family, no matter how rich they are." Derek replied.

"Stop acting so stubborn. You totally can afford it. I've seen the insurance payments." He knew the minute Lydia found those papers that we was in for trouble. Why hadn't he hid those better?

"You know, I agree." This time, Erica spoke up. "I didn't get turned into a wolf to hide out in a dump like this." She said with a grin.

"Am I going to listen to all of you lecture me all night? I don't have time for this." Derek snapped.

"What do you have to do Derek? Go sit up in your broken bedroom, or maybe sit in the hallway and let the rain fall on your head? Half of your house doesn't have a roof!" Jackson growled, stepping up to Derek when he said so. He immediately backed down when Derek shifted his body in Jackson's direction.

And as soon as this happened, Derek felt a hand on his arm. He looked over and it was Stiles. A room filled with werewolves, and the human sensed the altercation rising. Derek reacted by instinct, pulling away from Stiles immediately.

"Alright just hear us out one more time. Let us talk and then decide at the end. Please?" Stiles practically begged, his brown eyes staring right into Derek's.

No way was he going to allow this. There was no way he was giving in. "Fine." What? Did he just give them permission to bother him about something he knew was set in stone.

"Look, you've been saying you wanted the pack to get closer with each other. Eliminate all tensions. Do you think that's possible in a place like this?" Scott started.

"I don't know why you're so against this, but if its money that's not a problem. You'll have to dish some out sure, but Jackson's parents get their house remodeled all the time. They practically own contractors. We can so get you a better price." Stiles pleaded.

"It's true. I'll convince my parents to help you out it." Jackson confirmed.

"Plus, we can even help out with some of the work ourselves. Not everything needs to be professionally done." Isaac added, surprising Derek. He usually keeps to himself.

"Does it really mean this much to you?" Derek said very reluctantly.

"YES!" The whole pack said.

Derek rolled his eyes. This attempt at convincing him wasn't any different than anything else they've said before. He's honestly just tired of hearing it, and tired of denying that they're right. He never rebuilt because this was all he had left. All to show that there was a family before he became what he is today. What that was, he didn't know.

"You're all going to help. Every single one of you, even you Lydia. You set everything up, call the contractors, architects, whatever. No complaining about anything I tell you to do. Do you understand me?"

The whole pack nodded silently, not even attempting to hide their self-satisfied grins. Derek felt stupid having a group of seven teenagers pushing him around, smiling at him like he just gave candy to a baby. He felt the corner of his mouth start to twitch, and looked away.

"It's getting late. All of you go home." Derek commanded. They said their goodbyes and thank yous and rushed out like Derek was going to change his mind all of a sudden. It was a possibility. Derek watched as the pilled out the door. All of them except Stiles.

"I told you to go." Derek said, harsher than he attended. He walked back into the living room, not even needing enhanced senses to hear Stiles walking right behind him.

"What do you want, Stiles." Derek said calmly, turning around to look at Stiles. The boy was standing there, and he replied with a shrug.

"I just..wanted to thank you. I know you didn't want to do this. I just, you know, like appreciate it. It means a lot to me. Um it means a lot to the pack. You know, it hasn't been an easy time for us. But I feel like we've accomplished a lot in the past few weeks. And yeah, I just wanted to say thanks. For the house stuff, and letting me be in the pack and everything. I know you don't really want me here but still."

Stiles looked at Derek for a few seconds, nodded his head and turned to walk out the door. Derek took a few steps and grabbed Stiles' shoulders. He turned around, looking at Derek. He didn't smell like fear. He wasn't scared of Derek.

"What makes you think I don't want you here?" Derek asked.

Stiles thought about his answer before talking, which he never did. "Well you know, always yelling at me, pushing me up against walls. I never got the impression that you liked me very much."

Derek let go of Stiles shoulders, but he didn't break their gaze. Jesus Christ, they're faces were only inches away from each other. What was Derek doing?

"That's not true." Derek replied, hearing Stiles heart jump a beat when he said that. "I wouldn't have let you be a part of my pack if I didn't..." Derek broke off, not finishing his sentence. "Stiles, you belong here. Everything I do is to protect you. The pack. To protect the pack."

Stiles didn't respond. Their eyes were still locked, neither of them willing to look away. Stiles, and Derek, both jumped when a ringing sound filled the room. Stiles reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.

"Crap, my dad. I'm late. I got to go. See ya later Derek." Stiles said, meeting his eyes for one more second before bolting out the door.

Derek stood there for a few more moments and made his way to his room. He looked around when he reached the top of the steps, admitting to himself that he was actually pleased the place would be habitable by a normal person again.

Derek made his way to the bathroom, deciding to take a shower before he went to bed. He didn't know how long he was in there. The heat of the water felt great after a long day. Derek stepped out realizing he had been in there for a half hour.

He made his way to his room and grabbed a change of clothes before he went to bed. He decided on a pair of boxers and a t-shirt. He sat on the bed and lay down to go to bed.

His thoughts raced from his family, to his pack. He was tired. He closed his eyes, letting his sense of control go. He heard the owls outside, felt the bed accommodate around him, smelt Stiles on his arm.

Derek blamed his next action on being tired. He pulled out his phone and sent a text message to Stiles. It didn't really serve a purpose. Derek just felt like he needed to talk to him one more time, even if he didn't get a response.

Putting his phone back, Derek fell asleep. The last thing on his mind was Stiles.

* * *

Stiles bolted out of the house. He would have to thank his dad later for the perfect timing. Stiles reached his Jeep and started to fish for the keys in his pocket. God, he swore these things were impossible to find right now. Finally turning his pockets inside out, the keys fumbled out onto the forest floor. Stiles picked them up, shoved them into the door, and climbed in faster than he thought possible. He slammed the door and just sat there.

He tried to think about what just happened. He knew Derek to be the glaring, yelling, slamming-up-against-walls kinda guy. Stiles was used to it. He never expected anything else from him. But just a few seconds ago, he felt like Derek was actually a human being, not just an Alpha.

But that's not why Stiles bolted out of the house. He wasn't afraid of Derek opening up or anything. He ran because he was freaking turned on. He didn't know what sparked it. He's never felt that way towards Derek before..towards a guy that way before. He knew Derek was attractive, in a way where one straight guy finds another straight guy attractive. That's normal, right?

Stiles had been pushed around by Derek many times. But this was different. The way Derek looked at him, the sincerity in his voice. Stiles gets pushed around by this guy nearly every day. Derek forcefully pushing himself onto Stiles and not once has he ever felt turned on. But when he does it with care and gentleness, Stiles gets a hard on. Stiles had no idea what to think about himself right now.

Realizing that he was still sitting in his Jeep, Stiles put the key into the ignition and started to drive home. It was dark, but Stiles knew the path to the main road. He focused on driving, not letting his mind wander. He reached for the radio, and started to mindlessly flip through the stations. He stopped randomly, and turned the volume up letting the music fill the car.

Stiles hit the main road and started to drive home. It was pretty late out, so no other cars were on the road. Stiles drove a little faster than he should've, but he really just wanted to get home right now. He could risk letting his mind go back to this jumbled state of confusion.

He managed to make it home with any accidents. He pulled into the driveway, shut the car off and sat there for a few seconds. He can see the light on in the living room, indicating that his dad was still awake. Shit, he was home late again. He didn't even know what excuses he had left.

He opened to the door of the car, climbed out rather clumsily, and made his way to the house. He walked passed his dads cruiser and made his way for the steps. Before he can even make it halfway up, his dad was opening the door. Shit.

"Son, you do know its 11:30 on Wednesday and you're just getting home." The sheriff didn't sound angry, probably because he was so accustomed to questioning his son on curfew.

"I know Dad, I'm really sorry. Scott and I were just studying and we feel asleep. Sorry, I was just really tired after practice today." Stiles hated lying to his dad, but he couldn't tell him he was hanging out in a broken down house with a group of werewolves.

"I would say don't let it happen again, but I really doubt this is the last time you'll, what was it, fall asleep at Scott's house." His dad sighed. He walked back into the house and Stiles followed. He shut the door behind him and walked into the kitchen behind his dad.

The sheriff was sitting at the kitchen counter, Stiles standing in the doorway. Stiles felt horrible. He walked to the opposite side and sat in front of his father. He couldn't look at his father, the guilt of lying to him for weeks becoming too overwhelming.

"Dad, I'm really sorry. There's just a lot going on right now. I've just been caught up in so much lately. I'm still trying to make sense of it all. I don't mean to make you worry or break the rules. I mean it when I say I'm sorry."

The sheriff sat there for a few moments and then got up and took the seat next to his son. He put his hand on Stiles back and started to talk.

"I never expected you to tell me everything son. I knew you'd keep your secrets when you became a teenager. I was ready for it. I just want to know that you're safe. As long as you promise me that, and you start to get home on time, we won't have any problems."

Stiles thought before speaking. The sad truth was that he didn't know the answer to that question. Sure, he had a group of werewolves backing him up at all times but whether or not that made Stiles safer was debatable.

"Yeah Dad. Of course I'm safe." Stiles replied. He didn't even know what else to say. Apparently, his dad believed because he pulled him in for a quick hug and said good night. His father went upstairs to go to bed, but Stiles just sat there for a moment.

He thought about the answer he gave his dad. He knew he was putting himself in danger by being with the pack, but would he be better off unprotected without them? Stiles could imagine life without the pack. The past few weeks have actually been great. With no Kanima or crazy 60 year old man trying to kill them, everything had actually been okay.

Scott's back to him same old self, Lydia actually speaks to Stiles now, and Jackson's not always being a big douche. Not to mention Isaac, Erica, and Boyd getting closer to him. Hell, even Derek has been nicer. He thought it was just something the wolves felt. The connections between pack members that make it feel like a family, but he was wrong. Stiles definitely felt it too. There was no way he could ever be without them.

Satisfied that he solved his inner conflict, Stiles made his way to bed. He popped his head into his dad's room to say good night one more time, and opened his door to his room. He didn't even bother to change. After putting his phone on the nightstand, he took off his pants and put his head down. He didn't realize how tired he was till right now.

Stiles closed his eyes, ready to go to bed when he heard his phone ring. Who would be texting him this late at night? Stiles grabbed his phone and flipped it open.

Derek had texted him? He never did that unless he wanted something. Stiles looked at the name on the phone, almost scared to open the message. Finally mustering up the courage, he clicked open.

_Sorry about getting you in trouble. Good night Stiles_.

It was simple, to the point, and would be almost meaningless from any other person. But getting this from Derek was different. He apologized for something that really wasn't his fault. Stiles decided to be there on his own. And Derek had texted him. Apologizing.

What the hell.

Stiles through his phone back on the stand and closed his eyes again. He tried to think of everything except Derek. He thought about school, Scott, his plans for tomorrow. Stiles felt his heartbeat finally slow down after a few minutes and he felt like he started to drift into unconsciousness.

Of course, that's when his thoughts about Derek flooded back in. He didn't even try to fight it anymore. Luckily, he fell asleep a few minutes later.


	2. Chapter 2

"Mr. Stilinski, would you mind answering my question?" Stiles' head shot up from the desk. He admits, he really wasn't paying much attention. It was first period! Could you blame him for wanting to sleep just a few more minutes?

"Uh. Thomas Jefferson?" So he took a shot in the dark. Screw it. When the class started to laugh, he knew that he had been wrong.

"Mr. McCall, will you explain to your friend that we are in Chemistry Class. Pay attention Stilinski." Stiles looked over at Scott who was trying to hide his laughter. Whatever. Stiles was use to the torture Mr. Harris put him through. It was obvious to everyone that Stiles was his least favorite student, with Scott coming in second.

Mr. Harris instructed the class to get into groups and work on a lab they've been doing for a few days. Scott, Erica, and Jackson came over to were Stiles was sitting to work with him. It was weird. Usually Scott and Stiles would be those kids left over that no one really wanted to work with. And now he didn't have to worry about that issue. He had the pack.

They worked for a few minutes, talking about nothing really important. Jackson complained about the Lacrosse team while Scott argued with him and tried to defend the players Jackson made fun of. Stiles didn't really have any input. He sat quietly while he did his work until Erica started to talk.

"What's wrong with you Stiles? You're never this quiet." Erica asked.

"Oh, just tired you know. Didn't really sleep well last night. Plus, it's still early. Give me a few minutes and you'll regret asking me that question." Stiles answered with a wide grin. It was true. He didn't sleep very well last night. And it wasn't because of Derek. No way. It was because he nightmares, not dreams about Derek. Or so he told himself that.

"Hey, Stiles. Since we don't have practice today, we were gonna head over to Derek's right after school. You coming?" Scott asked.

Shit. Stiles was being stupid. Nothing even happened last night! It wouldn't be the first time Stiles overreacted to a situation. There was no reason he shouldn't go. So what, he got turned on by a guy and went home and had some very strange dreams about him. That's no reason to avoid a guy.

Okay, so maybe that's a lot of reason to avoid a guy. But this was Derek. Maybe if it was any other guy, Stiles wouldn't feel so conflicted. But this was his Alpha. He would have to do some research about being attracted to your Alpha and what consequences it had. Stiles knew that he had to act like nothing was wrong. Because nothing was wrong. He was just being silly.

"Yeah Scott, I'll be there." Stiles replied. Scott smiled and went back to his portion of the work. Stiles wasn't worried, he had no reason to be.

* * *

Stiles was sitting in his class, waiting for the bell to ring. He was eager to get out of school. Not because he knew he was gonna see Derek soon. School being over was reason enough to get excited.

They had a substitute today and everyone was pretty much doing their own thing, ignoring the complaints the sub had about our noise. Stiles was sitting next to Lydia, trying to make conversation but she was obviously not interested in talking to Stiles.

Normally he would be excited to have Lydia Martin sitting next to him. Even if she was ignoring pretty much everything he said, Stiles would be extremely happy. But he wasn't feeling that. After seeing Lydia save Jackson from his Kanima self, his feelings for Lydia sort of disappeared. He knew that he didn't have a chance anymore. She loved Jackson, and Stiles realized that he couldn't get in the way of that.

And oddly enough, this didn't bother Stiles. He realized that he was okay with never being able to be with Lydia. Maybe after all these years, he had finally gotten over. It was better for both of them. They were both pack. He couldn't let his feelings make things complicated.

"Can I ask you a question?" Lydia said out of the blue.

"Sure. What's up?" Stiles asked.

"Do you think Derek actually wants us in the pack? I mean, we're the only humans. Now that Scott and Allison are broken up, it's just us. I feel like we're lesser than the others since were humans. And I am not okay with that. I'm sure you're used to it, but this is new for me." Lydia said, glaring at Stiles like it was his fault.

"No, Lydia. I don't think we should feel like we're not as good as the others. We don't have awesome super powers but I mean we help out. And Derek does want us in the pack. He wouldn't have allowed us to be in it if he didn't want us there." Stiles said.

"Hmm. Well he doesn't seem to treat you very nice. I swear he pushes you up against walls more than anyone else in the pack. Either he hates you or wants to fuck you."

Stiles jaw dropped and he gasped at Lydia. He tried to choke out a response but nothing came out. He just stared at Lydia. She had a small smile on her face now.

"I'm kidding. Jeez, don't look so excited over the idea of Derek wanting to fuck you. Unless. Oh my god. I can't believe I didn't realize it before. You like him!" Lydia almost screamed. A few people looked over to where they were sitting. Stiles was going to kill her.

"What. No way. I do not like Derek. I don't even like guys." Stiles said almost too quickly to seem sincere.

"No Stiles, you totally do. You guys are always eye fucking each other. And you're always doing something to get his attention. Why you want to be slammed up against walls by him I don't know, but you so do it on purpose. I always knew you were gay." Lydia laughed after saying that, sounding pleased with herself.

"Oh my god Lydia, I am not gay!" Stiles said that very loud and realized everyone in the class was looking at him. He sunk back into his seat and tried not to make eye contact with anyone. He doesn't know why he was getting so upset with Lydia. He didn't have a problem with gay people at all. He just wasn't gay. He just happened to be attracted to one guy, which was different.

"It's okay Stiles, I'm not judging you. It's cute, you like our Alpha. And he likes you too. I'm really shocked that someone as attractive as him would fall for you but hey, not much I can do about it." Stiles glared at Lydia, who still had a look of amusement on her face.

"What do you mean, he likes me too? Not that I like him. I didn't really have to say too. I was just repeating what you said. Cause it's not true. At all." Stiles closed his mouth before he dug himself into a deeper hole.

"Oh come on Stiles, even you can't be so dimwitted. He's always asking you to stay after meetings to talk about stuff. He's always touching you, sure it's violently but the guy is obviously emotionally constipated. And the way he looks at you, sure it's a glare but it's not as spiteful as the looks he gives everyone else."

Stiles didn't know how to respond. All of the stuff she said was true. He had noticed the way Derek glared at Scott or Jackson, always looking like he meant it. But Stiles thought the glares he received looked forced or not real. Fuck. Sitting next to Lydia was a bad idea.

The bell rang and Stiles sprang to his feet. Thank god. He needed a distraction right now. He couldn't be thinking about this right now. He walked passed Lydia and made his way to the door; she grabbed his arm on the way and stopped him.

"Not that I care, but use the information I gave you wisely. You two would make a cute couple." And with that, Lydia got up and walked passed Stiles. She looked back and winked, leaving him standing there.

Oh she was evil.

* * *

Derek had just finished training when he got the call from Scott. They had just left school and would be here in a few minutes. It was just him, Jackson, and Stiles.

Derek was lying on the floor, calming down after a few hours of working out. This is what Derek day contained of. There wasn't much to do in the house. Part of Derek liked it this way. He grew up without TV, video games, and all the stuff a normal person couldn't live without today. It made him remember what things use to be like.

But he admits that sometimes it can get a bit boring. That's why he doesn't mind the pack coming over so often. They give him something to do. He's actually grateful sometimes that they have no problem with coming over at their own free will. It's been a long time since anyone has been comfortable enough to just walk into his house without permission. He's given up pretending to be mad at them when they do it. They're his pack.

Derek got off the floor and made his way outside. He heard Stiles' Jeep and Jackson's Porsche coming through the forest. He sat down on the steps and awaited the arrival of the teens. Derek hadn't thought about Stiles since last night. There was no reason to. Thinking about Stiles would serve him no purpose so he didn't do it. Well, he tried not to.

The cars pulled into view and stopped in front of Derek's house. He could hear the steady heartbeat coming from the Porsche but when he focused on the Jeep he could swear one of the teens was going into cardiac arrest. Derek felt that it was safe to assume that the rapid heartbeat was coming from Stiles. He really didn't know how to deal with this. Derek felt a little embarrassed when he realized his heartbeat started to rise too.

The three climbed out of their cars and started to make their way to Derek. Scott was muttering something to Stiles about school and Jackson was walking with a smug look which seemed to be his default setting. Derek was pleased to see Jackson make progress after the Kanima incident; he learned to control his wolf quickly and seemed to surpass the other pack member's levels already.

"Hey Derek." Scott said cheerfully. Scott had actually surprised Derek. He's been making progress and is shaping up to be a good wolf. He partially thinks it's because he doesn't have Allison as a distraction anymore.

"Hey. We weren't scheduled to train today. Why are you here?" Derek asked.

"Oh well we thought we'd get a start on the remodeling. No time to waste right?" Jackson stated.

"Its been a day. Are you serious?" Derek was rather aggravated. He didn't expect them to start this project so soon.

"Well I don't know how long it'll take for the contractors to get out here. I was gonna send them some pictures of the house so they have an idea of what they're getting themselves into." Derek hadn't expected Jackson to be the eager one.

"Alright. Go ahead." Jackson walked passed Derek and entered the house, taking his phone out in the process. "Why are you two here then?"

"Just thought we'd come and hang out. We can go if you want." Stiles spat out. It was the first time he talked since arriving.

"What, I didn't drive all the way here to just leave right away." Scott replied.

"You don't need to leave." Derek interrupted before Stiles started to talk again. "Just don't get in my way."

Derek stood up and walked back into the house. Scott shot Stiles a dirty look and followed Derek into the house. Stiles stood there for a few seconds, but reluctantly chased after Scott.

Derek walked past Jackson who was now on the phone talking to one of his father's contacts. He entered the living room and started to work out again. He needed something to focus on; his thoughts about Stiles were starting to creep into his mind.

The two teens joined Derek in the living room, sitting on the couch talking about some video game. Derek tried to ignore them but Stiles scent started to fill the room. It was mesmerizing. His scent was different than everyone else. It smelled like…

No. He would not go there.

"Oh hey Derek, I've been meaning to ask you." Scott turned away from Stiles and looked at Derek. "My moms finally stopped freaking out about me being a werewolf so I thought it might be a good idea if you know, talked to you. Just so she knows that you're not forcing me to be part of the pack."

Derek couldn't help but laugh a little. "You're mom thinks I'm forcing you to be here? So she needs to approve of me if you want to stay in the pack?"

Scotts face turned red. "Well yeah, I tried to explain to her that you're not but she's still dead set on talking to you about it." Stiles was trying hard to not laugh at his friend.

"Fine. I'll stop by your house sometime this week." Scott seemed relieved and turned back to talk to Stiles. Derek could sense that Stiles had calmed down. There was still a hint of anxiety in his scent.

Jackson had walked into the room and sat down next to Scott. "So, they'll be out tomorrow to take a look at the house and give you an estimate. They didn't really react well to the pictures I sent them, but really, who would."

"Make sure you're here when they are. I told you that you were handling this." Derek replied.

"Yeah I know Derek. I'll be here, don't worry." Jackson said smugly.

"You know, Derek I could help you with the payments and stuff. I know how confusing inheritance and insurance can be." Stiles commented. Just that statement made his heart rate go up. What was up with this kid?

"I can handle it Stiles." Derek responded. He looked up to see Stiles' face; he looked upset. "Thanks for the offer though." This seemed to satisfy Stiles, the look of rejection disappearing from his face.

"Well I have no reason to stay, so I'm leaving." And with that comment, Jackson left the living room and made his way to the car. It wasn't unusual for him to leave without saying goodbye.

"Are you two staying?" Derek asked.

Neither kid moved from the couch, Scott looked at Stiles and shrugged. "We have nowhere else to be. We could do some training if you want?" Scott suggested.

Derek wasn't really surprised. The pack had grown significantly larger in the past few weeks. It was common for betas to look for individual attention from their Alpha; the wolf inside liked to have a degree of intimacy with their leader. He tried to give each member of the pack enough attention so that there was no discontent between them.

Derek agreed, not wanting to cause problems between him and Scott. He got to his feet, and him and Scott went to the front yard. Stiles said we was going to raid Derek's fridge; normally, he would be upset with one of the teens going through his stuff but he let it slide this time.

Scott may have had control over his wolf now, but he still needed to work on his strength. Derek decided a spar with his beta would do them both some good.

Scott had definitely improved but he was still no match for Derek. No one in the pack was, but he still felt it did them some good to go up against someone stronger than they were.

Scott and Derek went at it for about an hour. Scott's resilience was quite impressive some times. Derek had called it quits, Scott clearly exhausted from the fighting.

"Good work today Scott. You're getting a lot stronger." Derek remarked. He put a hang on Scott's shoulder, trying to praise the beta. It was unusually for Derek to be so comforting but he knew it was important for the betas. And honestly, Derek felt better knowing his betas were happy.

Scott nodded his head and a shy smile on his face appeared, making his way back to the house. Stiles through him a water bottle and Scott took a seat next to him on the steps. Apparently he had been working on homework the whole time, not saying a thing while the two trained.

"So while you two were rolling around in the grass I got some work done myself." Derek looked closer at Stiles laptop, seeing that it wasn't homework. He was on some website titled Howling: The Origin of Werewolves.

"You seriously are not using that website as a reliable source are you?" Derek observed.

"Oh don't worry I've cross referenced with other sites and most of it matches what we already know." Stiles declared.

"Can this wait Stiles? I have to go home. Mom wants me back in time for dinner." Scott retorted. Scott picked up his backpack from the ground and stood in front of Stiles.

"Ah yeah it's not important. Just some theories about what might have happened to Jackson, why he might not be the Kanima anymore. No big deal." Stiles smiled and stood to join Scott.

"I guess we'll see you later Derek." Scott said, waving as he walked towards Stiles' car. Stiles, on the other hand just stood there, refusing to make eye contact with Derek.

"Uh yeah, see you later Derek. I..uh. Bye." Stiles started to walk away clearly not satisfied that Derek didn't say anything back to him.

"I'll stop by your house later on to see what information you have." Derek muttered.

Stiles stopped walking and turned to face Derek. The boy looked confused, nodded his head and made his way to his car. Once again, the scent of anxiety surrounded Stiles aura and his heart beat sky rocketed.

Derek didn't know why Stiles was acting like this. He didn't want to theorize on it either. He assumed it wasn't anything meaningful and Stiles was just being himself. Derek knew it didn't mean anything else. He didn't want it to be anything else.

Derek knew he had to stop lying to himself eventually.


	3. Chapter 3

Derek knew he never had the best of luck. But he never thought he would be in a situation like this. He did not deserve this. He knew letting the pack get their way was going to come back and bite him in the ass.

"Let me get this straight. I can't live in _my_ house for three weeks." Derek growled.

The contractor looked like he was going to run out of the house that very second. His face turned red and he started to speak.

"Mr. Hale, if it was up to me I would let you stay. But I legally cannot let you stay in this house. It's already in bad shape, and once we start working it won't be habitable. I'm sorry sir, there's nothing I can do."

Derek glared at the contractor, forcing him to turn his head away. Jackson saw Derek's look and pulled the man into the other room. He watched the two walk away and still glared at the spot where the man stood.

"Uh Derek?" Derek's head snapped around. He had forgotten that the rest of the pack was in the room, naturally. Scott started to speak again. "Look I know it's kind of a big deal that you're doing this already but I mean its only three weeks."

"How bad can it really be Derek? You stay in this dump, just go get a hotel for a few weeks." Lydia added.

"I am not staying in a hotel for three weeks." Derek barked. Werewolf senses do not mix well with beds that hundreds of other people have slept in.

"Well than, you're only other option is to stay with one of us. You're not turning your back on this project now." Lydia countered. When did she become the spokesperson for the pack?

"Hey, Lydia that's a good idea. Come on Derek, do it for us." Erica begged, accompanied with a puppy dog look.

"I am not living with any of you. This is my territory, I am not leaving it." Derek emphasized.

Stiles cleared his throat, stopping anyone else from speaking next. "Look Derek, I know that it was a big deal getting you to accept this remodeling thing in the first place, but we've already gotten this far. We have the price, the workers, everything. It's just one more thing you need to do. Please." Stiles pleaded.

Derek looked at Stiles, seeing a wide smile grow on the boy's face. There was no way he was going to let some stupid smile convince him to leave his home.

"You're the one who is always emphasizing this pack bonding thing. Won't this be good for us? I mean no other way to bond with someone by living with them." Isaac chuckled after adding his opinion.

"How bad could it be? Its just a place to sleep. You'll be here most of the day anyway." Lydia spoke up again.

Damn it. They were right. He already knew he would spend most of the days helping fix the place up. He also knew he wasn't going to stop hearing the pack complain. He was not letting them get away things this easily after this.

Derek sighed. "I really don't think any of your parents are going to let me stay with you."

"Well, my house is out of the picture. My mom's not letting a guy who is so much older stay with us." Erica said.

"Yeah, good point. Sorry Derek can't stay with me either." Lydia added.

"My place is small enough as it is, I don't think there's room for you." Isaac said.

"Uh, there's no excuse I can think of for letting an accused murderer live with me. My parents would never buy it" Boyd stated.

That left Stiles and Scott.

"So Scott, do we flip a coin to see who gets to share a bed with Derek for the next three weeks?" Stiles joked.

"I mean my mom does know about all the werewolf stuff, but I don't know if she'd be okay with having Derek live with us. She's still not really okay with everything that's happened." Scott said.

"So what, I have to lie to my dad and convince him to let Derek stay with us?" Stiles returned.

"Neither of us are happy about this. I don't want to make things worse between Scott and his mom." Derek explained.

"This is not fair." Stiles looked around the room, trying to see if anyone would back him up. No one said anything. "Fine. Whatever. I'll lie to my dad again to protect your sorry asses."

"I don't think either of us wants this Stiles. Stop complaining about it." Derek growled. Stiles tried to glare back at Derek, but Derek just thought it was amusing. "Go tell Jackson what's going on. I have to talk to Stiles alone."

The rest of the pack poured out of the living room, leaving Derek with Stiles. Stiles was sitting on the couch and Derek was leaning against the wall. He walked towards Stiles and stood in front of him.

"Don't even say it Derek. You don't need to threaten me or yell at me. I already agreed to this. No need to get all sour wolf on me." Stiles said before Derek even had the chance to talk.

Derek sighed. He wasn't happy that he had to leave but he was grateful that he it was Stiles he was staying with. He would never tell him that though. The rest of the pack was still tense around Derek. Well, Stiles had been the past few days but he figured it would pass. Stiles was the only one who didn't treat him like he was just a teacher.

"I'm not going to threaten you. If you want me to go talk to your dad with you, I will. I don't want to get you in any more trouble." Derek said calmly. Stiles looked shocked at this statement. He sat there without saying anything, just looking at Derek like he was crazy. "What?" Derek added.

"Oh um, nothing. I'll talk to my dad alone. You don't need to go. But uh, yeah, thanks." Stiles said, standing up. "I think I'll go do that right now actually." And with that, Stiles left the house and headed home. Scott and Isaac walked into the room were Derek was still standing.

"He left in a hurry." Isaac said.

"Staying with Stiles won't be so bad. He's a good cook." Scott said optimistically. Derek glared at Scott.

"So, Scott and I were gonna go play some Lacrosse. You don't need us here right?" Isaac asked.

"No." Derek said. "Take the rest of the pack with you."

Scott and Isaac walked back to get everyone else. They were all gone within a few minutes. The contractor told Derek that they would be by to start working tomorrow. He would need to be out of the house by then.

When Derek was finally alone, he sat down in the middle of his couch. He tried not to be to upset. He just didn't like to have other people in his territory while he wasn't here. There was nothing he can do about it though. However, there was something else bothering him. Staying with Stiles. He wasn't afraid of being annoyed by the kid, or having to deal with his constant talking. He was worried that this thing he felt towards for him would grow.

Derek couldn't let that happen. The last time he had feelings for someone destroyed him. Besides, this was Stiles. A 17 year old boy who tried to get Derek arrested and most likely hated him. Derek did not have feelings for him. Whatever it was he felt was most likely side effects of having a human be a pack member. Which didn't make sense because he did not feel this way towards Lydia.

Derek jumped up from the couch, trying to break his train of thought. What was he thinking? He does not have feelings for Stiles. They were barley even friends. Shaking off any doubt, Derek dropped to the floor and started to do his work out. This was the only way he knew how to distract himself.

He had to stop thinking about it. There was no other choice. He made a promise to himself. Never again would he get involved with anyone. It was better for everyone that way.

* * *

Stiles was able to do this. He'd done it before; there would be no problem now. He knew what he was gonna tell his dad. He knew that with enough pressure, he could get him to fold. His dad wasn't as hard as many people thought. He would feel sympathy for Derek and everything would go smoothly.

He was laying on his bed, waiting for his dad to get home. The glow from his computer screen lit up the room. It was already dark, and Stiles didn't feel like doing anything. He had homework to do but he knew he couldn't concentrate. He tried to play video games but he just wasn't interested. He was nervous.

He didn't want his dad to catch wind of anything that was really going on. He had to make his lie good. Gosh, it pained Stiles knowing that he was getting aware of what a good lie was and what a bad one was. His dad would forgive him one day. He would know the truth one day. But for now, he had to do what he had to do. And it wasn't even that big of a lie. He was gonna tell him the truth, minus the fact that Stiles was a member of his werewolf pack.

Stiles shifted in the bed, moving the pillows around to try and get more comfortable. It was only a few minutes later before he moved them again. Stiles sighed and decided to force himself to do something else. He sat on the edge of the bed, contemplating his possibilities. He decided to do what he always does when he's bored: eat.

Stiles made his way to the kitchen and ransacked through fridge. He picked out some left overs and through them in the microwave. He sat down at the kitchen counter waiting for his food to finish. Stiles played with his hands while he waited. He never really could sit still.

When the microwave made the familiar sound signaling that it was time to eat, Stiles took his plate to the living room. He sat on the couch and flipped on the TV. He left it on whatever channel it was. It was just serving as background noise.

As soon as Stiles finished eating, he heard the sound of his dad's cruiser pulling up. Great. Here we go. Stiles put his plate on the living room table and prepared himself for this.

His dad walked in still in uniform. He shut the door behind him and made his way to sit next to Stiles on the couch.

"Long day?" Stiles asked. He didn't want to sound like anything was off.

"Yeah. Pretty busy. Feels good to relax." His dad picked up the remote and turned to the sports channel. "What did you do today son?"

"Oh nothing really. Just hung out with Scott." His dad nodded in agreement and turned his attention back to the TV. He just had to go for broke. "I need to ask you something Dad."

His dad chest rose, trying to hold back a sigh. He clicked off the TV and placed the remote next to him. "Sure, what's going on?"

"So a friend of mine is having some repairs done on his house and turns out that he won't be able to stay there for a while. I was, uh, wondering if he could stay here while the works is done. Ya know, help that guy out and all that."

"Well I have no problem with that Stiles. Who is it?" Stiles was kind of praying that his dad wouldn't ask that question. But he knew he was going to.

Stiles swallowed and answered his dad. "Derek Hale."

His dad's had turned quickly towards Stiles. His eyes were big and his faced spelled confusion. "I'm sorry, did you say Derek Hale? The man that you tried to have arrested. I wasn't even aware you were friends with him.

"Well he's not really that bad. He's a good guy. And he doesn't have anyone else. I know I haven't really mentioned that I was friends with him but you know I wouldn't be asking if I wasn't completely one hundred percent sure."

The look on his dad's face clearly said 'I have absolutely no idea what to say.' Stiles knew that he wouldn't give in that easily, but he had faith that his dads good guy attitude would pull through.

"Son, I hope you see why I'm a little worried about this. He's an ex-felon, not to mention he's a lot older than you. How did you even become friends with him in the first place?"

"Well I had no luck with kids my ages, so I went what the hell and found the loneliest guy in Beacon Hills and seduced him with my quirky charm." The look on his dads face clearly said he was not amused. "Okay got it no time for jokes. Dad would I really suggest something this big if I didn't trust him?"

"No I know you wouldn't if you weren't positive about this. But I'm not entirely sure I want this man living in my house."

"You won't even notice he's here dad. It'll probably be just to sleep. He's planning to help with the house. I mean have you seen the guy? He might as well put those muscles to work." Wow, didn't sound as weird in Stiles' head.

His dad ignored the strangeness in Stiles statement and put his head into his hands. "Oh I know I'm going to regret this. How long?"

"Just three weeks."

"When is he moving in?"

Stiles doesn't know why he did what he did, but he lunged across the couch and hugged his dad. "He'll be here tomorrow." He said. "Thank you dad, really. Thank you."

Stiles pulled away from his dad and returned to his place on the couch. "Just behave okay. And try not to let many people know that an accused murderer is staying with us."

"Your wish is my command. My lips are sealed." And just like that, the conversation ended. They sat there and watched TV for a little while. His dad said he was going to shower and go to bed. Stiles decided that he might as well go to sleep too.

When Stiles returned to his room, he jumped down on his bed and kicked his pants off. Stiles was upset about Derek moving in at first. He wasn't sure he wanted to share a house with a guy who constantly threatened him, growled at him, and made it clear that he didn't like them. There was no way he could be okay with living with this guy.

Maybe this would give Stiles a chance to prove to himself that he did not have feelings for Derek. The conversation with Lydia kept replaying in his head. For a while, he had actually started to believe and started contemplating the idea of having feelings for freaking Derek Hale. But he realized that was just Lydia's evil power going into play.

But Stiles couldn't just not think about it anymore. He didn't like Lydia anymore. There's no way something like that just stops. There had to be a reason he didn't feel that way anymore. And he didn't like to admit but maybe it just happened to be someone else that changed his mind. And just maybe that someone was Derek.

Oh gosh, Stiles didn't just think that. As much as it pained him to admit, he felt something for towards Derek. What that was, he wasn't sure yet.

Stiles was interrupted by the sound of phone ringing. He reached for his phone and seen that it was Derek who texted him. Right, he was probably wondering what happened. Stiles probably should have let him now ASAP.

_So?_

Stiles wasn't really expecting much more. He hit reply and typed out his message.

_Dad is on board. Come by after school tomorrow, roomy._

Stiles turned his bedroom light off and went back to bad. He wasn't up to doing anything else so he decided it was time for bed. He heard the familiar sound of his phone again and he seen Derek's name flash on the screen. It wasn't a text message though, Derek was calling him. Crap.

"Uh hello?"

"Are you sure your dad is okay with this?"

"So I see that you don't have any manners over the phone either." When all Stiles heard was a sigh, he continued to talk. "Yeah dude, he's fine with it. Well I wouldn't say fine with it, but he said yes."

"Okay." Derek replied. Neither of them said anything for a few seconds. "I'll be by after school tomorrow."

"Alright, that's cool. See ya than." Stile didn't hang up after that though. Neither did that. After a few more seconds, Derek spoke again.

"Thank you Stiles. Go to bed." Derek hung up right after that. Stiles put his phone aside and sighed.

What was he getting himself into?


End file.
